Wrench



F. A.. SNELL WRENCH Nov. 6, 1945.

Filed Nov. 1, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Inventor F. A. SNELL Noy. 6, 1945.

WRENCH Filed Nov. 1', 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I uventor Patented Nov. ti,1945 WRENCH Francis A. Snell, Chenango Forks. N. Y., assignmto BotnickMotor Corporation. Binghamton,

N. Y., a corporation of New York Application November 1, 1944, SerialNo. 561,429

Claims.

This invention relates to a wrench, and more particularly to anadjustable wrench, adapted for operation upon nuts, bolts, pipes, or thelike.

The primary object of this'invention is the provision of an improvedwrench, provided with an improved jaw means, the arrangement being suchthat the wrench may be readily fitted to clamp upon any object such as anut, or the like, and the jaws so arranged that, when the wrench is inclosed or clamped position, they remain in parallel relationship withrespect to each other.

An additional important object of this invention is the provision ofsucha wrench, which may be readily adjusted to fit any desired size ofnut or the like, and which, due to a pivotal action of one jaw thereof,may be readily released from the said nut without the necessity ofoperating the adjustment means, whereby to change the adjustment of thewrench.

Still another object is the provision of an improved wrench, s arrangedthat when once setto a desired type or size of nut or the like, the samemay be repeatedly utilized on said size of nut without the necessity ofvarying the adjustment. A'still further object is the provision of suchwrench adapted to accommodate a variety of I sizes of nuts, or the like,the arrangement being such that regardless of the size upon which thewrench is adapted to act, the jaws, when in clamped position, remain inparallel relationship.

Still another object is the provision of an improved wrench which willbe sturdy and durable in construction, reliable and efficient inoperation, and which may be manufactured comparatively inexpensively andsimply with a relative minimum of parts.

Still other objects reside in the combinations of elements, arrangementsof parts, and features of construction, all as will be more fullypointed out hereinafter andshown in the accompanying drawings, whereinthere is disclosed a preferred embodiment of this inventive concept.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of one form of wrench constructed inaccordance with this invention.

Figure 2 is a side elevational view similar to Figure 1. but showing theparts in a difierent position of adjustment.

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken through the center line of thewrench, disclosing the same in one position of adjustment, an additionaloperative position being indicated by dotted lines,

and v Figure 4 is a top plan view of the device.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout theseveral views of the drawings.

Having reference now to the drawings, there is generally indicated at [0a frame member comprised of two side portions 1 l, oppositely disposedand terminating in extending members l2 spaced apart and havingpositioned therebetween a spacer I3, or the like, secured thereto, as bybolts or rivets 14, to form a handle. 7

The opposite extremity of member In is provided with a spacer blockconstructed ofmetal, or the like, l5 secured between the side plates II,as by rivets l6, and having a lower face ll provided with corrugations,or the like, to form a fixed jaw, a space of substantial extent beingleft between the side plates H, and between the spacers l3 and i5.

A movable jaw, generall indicated at 20 and provided with a jaw portionH which may be toothed or serrated, is pivotally secured at itsextremity 22, as on a pivot pin 23, positioned between the side walls llof the frame I0. The jaw 20 is generally triangular in form and isprovided at the third angle of the triangle with a second pivot 24, towhich is secured an operating handle 25 preferably comprised of a,channelshaped member adapted to move in the same plane as the handle 12of the fixed jaw.

As best shown in Figure 3, a link 26 is pivotally secured at oneextremity to a pivot 21 extending between the side walls H, and at theother extremity to a pivot 28 secured within the handle 25. Thus, itwill be seen that when the handle 25 is moved outwardly to the dottedline position disclosed in Figure 3, the movement of the link 26, andthe corresponding movement of the jaw 20 about the pivot pin 23, willcause the jaw 20 to drop away at an angle with respect to the jaw l5.Conversely, upon compression of the handle 25 toward the handle l2, aparallel linkage system will be formed, causing the face 2| to assumeparallel relation to the face ll.

Positioned within the space above mentioned between side walls .I l is amain link 30 of arcuate configuration, having one extremity engageablewith the pivot 22, and secured at its opposite extremity'to a pivot 3|,positioned between the side walls II. An extension 32 beyond pivot 3| issecured, to one end of a coil spring 33 positioned within a recess 34 inthe handle member I3, and having its outer end 35 secured at anextremity thereof, the spring serving normally to bias the jaw 20 towardopen position,

Means are provided for varying the position i of link 30, and hence thepivot pin 23, to correspondingly vary the respective spacing of the jawfaces I! and 2| when in closed position. Such means take the form of ascrew 35 having a rotatable knurled nut 36 thereon, and terminating in aT-shaped crosshead 31 positioned between the side walls II. The nut 36is of a dimension to extend outwardly through apertures 38 in the sidewalls II to permit the periphery thereof to be grasped whereby to rotatethe same, while the ends of the head 31 extend outwardly and arecontained in longitudinally extending slots 39, oppositely disposed. Thecrosshead 31 is adapted to abut against the inner arcuate surface of thelink 30, the arrangement being such that as the crosshead is movedtowards the extremity of the slot 39 adjacent the jaws, the member 30 ismoved upwardly, correspondingly moving the pivot pin 23 and hence thejaw 20 closer to the jaw l5. This is best shown in Figure 2, wherein thejaw faces I I and 2| are juxtaposed. Conversely, as the screw 38 ismoved in the opposite direction by means of rotation of nut 36, thecrosshead 31 is moved towards the opposite extremity of the slot 39 andthe jaws are moved correspondinglya relatively greater distance apart.

From the foregoing the operation of the'device should now be readilyunderstandable.

It will be readily seen that the link 30 and the link 26, when taken inconjunction with the handle member 25 and the jaw 20, form a parallellinkage system, the arrangement being such that when the handle 25 ismoved towards the handle l2, the jaw 2| assumes a parallel relationshipto the jaw [1, a clamping action being effected when the link 26 passesits over-center position, to lock the parts in close clamping assemblywith any object to be grasped. It will correspondingly be seen that thiseiTect is maintained, regardless of the position of the jaws, relativeto each other, as determined by the positioning of 'the T-head 31 in theslot 39 when adjusted in the manner previously described. It will thusbe seen that the wrench may be readily adjusted to any size nut, orother object, within its range of normal operation according to the sizeof the parts thereof, and that when once adjusted, the device or objectto be held may be firmly grasped, and the jaws locked thereon, bycompressing the handle 25 towards the handle I2. It will also be seenthat when it is desired to release the object so grasped, the nut 35need not be adjusted, but merely by releasing the handle 25, the jaw 20is permitted to swing away from the jaw l5 about the pivot 23, wherebythe object is readily released. Thus, it will be seen that when thewrench is once set for a particular size of object, it may be repeatedlyutilized to grasp and release the same or a plurality of similar sizedobjects. It will likewise be seen that the wrench may be readilyadjusted to accommodate any given size object within its range ofaction.

Now, from the foregoing, it will be seen that there is herein provided adevice accomplishing all the objects of this invention and others, in-

cluding many advantages of great practical utility and commercialimportance.

As many embodiments may be made of this inventive concept, and as manymodifications may be made in the embodiment hereinafter shown anddescribed; it is to be understood that all matter herein is to beinterpreted solely as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

1. In a device of the character described, in combination, a handlehaving a recess therein, a jaw aifixed to said handle, a second jaw, asecond handle pivotally secured to said second-mentioned jaw, a linkhaving one end pivotally secured in said recess and having its oppositeend pivotally secured to said second .iaw, a second link having one endpivotally secured insaid recess and having its opposite end secured tosaid handle to form a parallel linkage, and means associated with saidfirst link adapted to vary the relative position of its pivotalconnection with said second jaw, with respect to said first jaw.

2. In a device of the character described, in combination, a handlehaving a recess therein, a jaw affixed to said handle, a second jaw, asec ond handle pivotally secured to said second-mentioned jaw, a linkhaving one end pivotally secured in said recess and having its oppositeend pivotally secured to said second jaw, a second link having one endpivotally secured in said recess and having its opposite end-secured tosaid handle to form a parallel linkage, spring means associated withsaid first-mentioned link adapted to bias said second jaw about itspivotal securing means to bias said first link pivotally in a directionaway from said first jaw, and means associated with said first linkadapted to vary the relative position of its pivotal connection withsaid second jaw, with respect to said first jaw.

3. In a device of the character described, in combination, a handlehaving a recess therein, a jaw afiixed to said handle, a second jaw; asecond handle pivotally secured to said secondmentioned jaw, a linkhaving one end pivotally secured in said recess and having its oppositeend pivotally secured to said second jaw, a second link having one endpivotally secured in said recess and having its opposite end secured tosaid handle to form a parallel linkage, and means associated with saidfirst link adapted to vary the relative position of its pivotalconnection with said second jaw, with respect to said first jaw,saidmeans comprising a T-headed screw movably secured in said firsthandle, and means for moving the same.

4. In a device of the character described, in combination, a handlehaving a recess therein, a jaw afiixed to said handle, a second jaw, asecond handle pivotally secured to said second-mentioned jaw, a, linkhaving one end pivotally secured in said recess and having its oppositeend pivotally secured to said second jaw, a second link having one endpivotally secured in said recess and having its opposite end secured tosaid handle to form a parallel linkage, spring means associated with thesaid first-{mentioned link adapted to bias said first link pivotally ina direction away from said first jaw, and through said link movement tobias said second jaw about its pivotal securing means, and meansassociated with said first link adapted to vary the relative position ofits pivotal connection with said second jaw, with respect to said firstjaw, said means comprising a T-headed screw movably secured in saidrecess in said first-mentioned handle, and nut means for moving the sameto move said first-mentioned link.

5. A tool comprising, in combination, a frame having slots therein, astationary jaw, an adjustable jaw, a link pivoted at one end to theadjustable jaw and at the other end to said frame, an adjusting screwguided by said slots, a nut adapted to actuate said screw, the head ofsaid screw bearing against one edge of said link at an angle to act as awedge and swing said link 5 about its pivot when said adjusting nut isturned.

a spring extending from one end of said link to said frame serving tobias said jaws towards open position, a toggle pivoted at one end tosaid adjustable jaw and at the other end to said frame, said toggleconsisting of an actuating handle and a link pivoted thereto, saidtoggle and said first-mentioned link, together with the adjustable jaw,forming a parallel linkage system .whereby the adjustable jaw ismaintained always

